Month: December 2016

And despite my efforts, I still struggle with wanting to do everything right, everything correct, everything perfect. Logically, I know that is not possible. But for some reason, I can’t quite seem to let my perfectionistic nature go.

Often, this manifests itself around anything having to do with God: what I think, what I say, what I do.

In mid-December, I was once again worrying and feeling guilty that I did not want to read my Bible or devotional after studying for six hours.

Now, you’re probably thinking that me feeling guilty for that is crazy – especially when I had been studying for six hours straight.

Well, in my spirit I felt God reminding me that it is ok for me to just REST in Him.

Jeremiah 31:25, “For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

Exodus 33:14, “And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Isaiah 30:15, “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”

Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Sometimes (or, a lot of times :P) I forget that it is ok to just rest in God. Hopefully, with the Lord’s grace and help, I can begin to grasp the concept of not being perfect and resting in Him.

Well. Monday I went and watched Rogue One. And today I am still trying to cope with the repercussions of that.

But without further ado, I am going to discuss some of the things I loved about the movie.

Background of the architect behind the Death Star

I loved that they gave so much depth to this. It really makes everything in episodes 4, 5, and 6 make so much more sense. And, you know, MORE TRAGIC.

2. Blind guy who uses the force

This was so awesome! I really loved that they did this. As someone with an illness, I was glad they finally showcased a character with a disability. Petition for more characters like that!

3. Spiritual Analogies

There were so many spiritual analogies in this movie. Especially the part where Chirrut is on Scarif and repeating his “I am one with the Force” speech as Stormtroopers fire on him…and do not hit him.

It reminded me of the story in the Bible with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and how God protected them from the fire – similar to how the Force protected Chirrut from the Stormtroopers.

4. Rebel Captain

Jyn and Cassian have officially crushed me. I did not expect to ship something so much, especially from a stand-alone Star Wars film, but sheesh, I ship it so hard.

I love their dynamic! It’s different from all of the other couples in Star Wars, which I appreciate. And just their growth as individual characters and together was amazing – especially in such a short amount of time.

I’m not gonna lie, I was mentally screaming at them to kiss at the end of the movie (ELEVATOR SCENE, SO MUCH OK. AND THEN THE BEACH SCENE). But nope. I didn’t even get that to console myself with XD

What makes it even more tragic and depressing, is what could have been. But they didn’t even get the chance to explore that.

And then…there’s this </3

Overall, I loved the movie (minus the fact, that, ya know, EVERYBODY DIED…*cough*). I was also sad that Scarif got destroyed – that was a really pretty planet! And I loved the line from Bail Organa about how he trusted “her” (obviously Leia) with his life ❤ But yeah. Rogue One has officially killed me.

As Christmas ends in all of its bright lights, Santa 🎅🏻 wrapped gifts 🎁, and loudly playing carols 🎼, let us not forget the true joy behind this holiday: Jesus.

Jesus who left the golden glories of perfect heaven to come down where imperfection is sowed deeply. Jesus who traded comfort and ease for a world of sin, pain, and suffering. Jesus who set aside His rightly given crown and wore one of thorns. Jesus who put away His heavenly robes for those of this earthly life. Jesus who was tempted. Persecuted. Deserted. Made fun of. Beaten. Spit upon. Jeered at. Ridiculed. Anxious.

This same Jesus who told Moses, tell them I AM sent you.

I AM…LOVE. I AM…GRACE. I AM…COMPASSION. I AM…HOPE. I AM…PEACE. I AM came.

Well. That just happened (ok, so maybe it was weeks ago, but I couldn’t get around to posting about it till Christmas break. So xD).

Yep. That about sums it up…along with this perfectly appropriate meme:

Seriously, do the poor characters never get a break? And you know it’s bad, when it sort of hits the fourth wall…and Snow tells/asks David, “I just want normal,” and he basically says, “What is normal anymore?” (Or something like that, I couldn’t find the exact quote XD)

But on to the review!

Aladdin as a genie

I know he wanted to help, but I’m honestly not sure why he did that? I mean, it’s kind of a HUGE decision – especially since genies can’t free themselves unless someone makes a wish for them to have their freedom.

2. Princess Emma

XD I’m pretty sure Regina’s reaction was all of us: what the hell happened to you?

But in all seriousness, it was almost comical seeing Emma in this girly-girl, princess, timid light. It was so not like Emma Swan! XD Although, I must say, I loved her costumes in the wish world – beautiful!

3. The Black Fairy

As if this family tree could not get even more complicated…

XD Had to post that – totally cracked me up when I first saw it. Anyway.

Apparently, Rumple’s mother is the Black Fairy – aka, the most heartless mother ever. I mean look at this, she LAUGHS at him when he asks her why she abandoned him as a baby.

O.O And I thought Cora was bad. So Rumple’s mom was the Black Fairy – aka the person WHO STEALS CHILDREN, and his dad was Peter Pan – aka the person who abandoned his child for eternal youth. Yeah, and we wonder why Rumple turned out so badly.

But of course, that’s not the worst of it. As if what she does is not horrible enough, the Black Fairy goes and steals her grandchild: Belle and Rumple’s son…and turns him to the “dark side.”

*deep breaths*

This is just so awful; I mean Belle – of all people, does not deserve to have her son be evil, when her husband is already the Dark One. And then this happened…

You know if Rumple is saying he doesn’t mess with that kind of darkness, you REALLY don’t want to mess with it.

4. Robin Hood

I loved Robin Hood and one-hundred-percent ship Outlaw Queen. But, at the same time, I don’t really like that they tried to bring Robin Hood back. And the reason for that, is technically he’s not even real (although, there is a theory that when David wished for the Evil Queen to get what she deserved, that’s when Robin came into the scene – since Regina and the Evil Queen are really the same person, which would be an explanation as to why he had not aged like Snow and David in the wish world).

But, I mean, it would be a good thing if Regina could bring him back (though that gets into alternate universes and timelines crossing, so not really sure how THAT would work).

5. THE RING.

Y’ALL. WE COULD ACTUALLY, MAYBE GET A CAPTAIN SWAN WEDDING THIS SEASON. Because it 100% has to be a Captain Swan wedding.

This is the hope I am trying to cling to in face of all of the other *AHEM* problems that need to be overcome on the second half of season six. A Captain Swan wedding must happen.

Recap:

Emma and Regina are stuck in the wish world (why Emma did not drag Regina down with her, I will never know). I’m really nervous about this, because Regina killed the wish world Snow and Charming which puts her on the top list of people to capture/kill. Part of me is thinking, that Rumple is going to be the one to help them escape. After all, he’s the only one that ever believes anybody (#timetravelingepisode), and I feel like if they told him about Neal and Henry, then he would be more likely to help them.

Snow and Charming are still under the curse that the Evil Queen put on their hearts, which means that only one can be awake at a time. I hope they manage to fix this, because Snowing is definitely relationship goals.

Gideon Gold is who we know now as the person who kills Emma. I am so not happy with this. Like, at all. I really hope that Belle manages to talk some sense into him, and maybe he can come back from whatever dark manipulative stuff the Black Fairy did to him.

What do y’all think about the winter finale of season six? Let me know in the comments below!

Bam. Bam. Bam. The firing of guns echoed in the distance. Crimson, auburn, and gold exploded onto the scene and rained down like fire from the sky. Screams filled the landscape in a horrible, eerie lullaby to woe one to sleep. But this sleep, was death.

Andy Miller laid on the hard earth, pain ricocheting through his body faster than he could count. His left arm was bent at an unholy angle, and any movement he made caused a cry to escape his throat. Should’ve known not to take that chance…he thought, remembering what caused him to be in this position in the first place.

He and the rest of the fellows in the patrol, had heard there was an opportunity to break through in the lines. And like any young fool, they decided to take the chance.

It was the worst decision of his twenty-four-year-old life. Everything had gone horribly wrong. From the moment they had bulged through and began fighting, Andy knew that the odds of each one of them going home alive, were slim.

Tears streaked down his ashen coated face, creating streaks down his skin. God, I’m sorry I was such an idiot. Please take care of my family…prayed Andy mentally, thinking about his parents and siblings. What would they do when they heard the news? Because as much as he would like to believe, that he would come out of this alive, in all truthfulness, Andy Miller realized that would not happen. He had an arm that was barely hanging on, ribs likely broken, and who knew what other kind of internal damage he might have?

~~~

Celeste looked at the poor man in sorrow. War…such a dreadful, horrible, terrible, completely unnecessary thing! And at Christmastime no less! thought the angel sadly, tender heart breaking at the scene before her.

Celeste.

“Yes Lord?”

Remember what you have to do. I know you love Christmas…and matchmaking, but try not to get distracted.

“Yes, sir. I’ll try my very, very best!” Celeste had just completed the Christmas Angel program, a very important program. It was the same one that the angels who appeared to the shepherd’s had gone through.

She took her job quite seriously. And now, she was about to appear to her first Christmas assignment.

“Fear not, fear not, fear not,” Celeste chanted as she began to appear. She could not mess this up. And how could someone mess up saying two words? Well, Celeste supposed, that she would be the first to do that.

~~~

Andy had pretty much resigned himself to the fact that his end would be death. Not exactly what someone wants to think about…during the Christmas season. But then again…Suddenly, his eyes – which had been partially closed – fluttered open.

What on earth? Is that – ? It couldn’t be. Wow. I really must be dying…thought Andy Miller, as he looked at the figure bathed in shining light.

She had white-blonde hair, in a slew of unruly curls, and was currently bouncing on the toes of her feet. A brilliant smile rested on her face. Behind her, rose a pair of beautiful wings, matching the angelic appearance.

Angelic. Land sakes, that’s an angel!

~~~

Celeste had just appeared before the injured soldier. The man looked absolutely dumbfounded, and with what little movement he could make, seemed to be in a great deal of shock. Oh! Poor dear! So close to death around Christmas – of all things! But, he will not be dying today! thought Celeste triumphantly, then reminding herself to focus.

“Fear not,” she began, squealing inwardly at not messing up the words. Holly berries and candy canes! I did it! Praise you, Lord! cheered her mind happily. “Even in such a dismal place, you – Andy Miller, are not going to die. This is the month of our Lord’s birth, and He has graciously given you a second chance at life. Tomorrow – ”

All of a sudden, a voice croaked out, “Are you an angel? Or am I just hallucinating?”

Blinking, Celeste stared at him for a single second. “A hallucination? No, no. I am one-hundred-percent real. Nothing pretend about me!”

“Alright, if you say so.”

Celeste sighed. She would not let this deter her! And, to be fair, soldiers had experienced hallucinations before, so it wasn’t too crazy for him to be thinking that. Especially, in the state that he was in. “Well, anyway, tomorrow you will be rescued by a platoon,” she hoped that was the correct term. All of these army words got mixed up in her already scattered mind. “You will see me again, between now and the time when you will return to the U.S.”

Then, she disappeared.

~~~

True to Celeste’s words, Andy Miller did not die that day. He was rescued, as told by the angel, and instantly taken to a hospital. Because of his dire condition, Andy’s left arm had to be amputated along with some broken ribs which had to be wrapped and treated. There were a few other injuries, but none as severe as the amputee.

As of yet, Andy had not seen Celeste since. And in all honesty, wasn’t even sure if she was real or not.

~~~

Celeste squealed inwardly. She could not wait for this. Of course, there was no guarantee that her match-making would work…Shaking her head, she smiled. It would work. After all, it was the Christmas season! And Christmas was all about love!

“Stop one, check on Ella Collins. Then, go see Andy Miller. Lastly, lots of praying,” said Celeste to herself as she prepared for the young physical therapist to get out of her car.

Ella had cinnamon locks that were tied back in a pretty fishtail braid. Her blue working attire, matched her grey-opal eyes wonderfully. And, as an inside source, Celeste knew that Ella was exactly the same age as Andy: twenty-four. Perfect.

And, here we go! thought Celeste, appearing in front of the young woman.

~~~

Late last night, Ella had received a call from her superior that a young army veteran had been admitted. He had recently had his left arm amputated and was in need of physical therapy. Even though it was last minute, Ella was never one to turn down a challenge – and so she accepted.

But this figure with wings. Yeah. Not exactly what Ella Collins was expecting.

“Fear not, Ella Collins. I have come here to bring you wonderful news!” exclaimed, what a dumbfounded Ella could only assume was an angel, “the patient you are now going to see, is none other than your soulmate.”

Soulmate. Well, that was the most illogical statement Ella had ever heard. Sure, it sounded all nice and Hallmark-like (and she did love a good Christmas movie), but soulmates? That was just fiction. “I’m sorry, I think you have the wrong person.”

The angel frowned. “You don’t believe me,” she huffed unhappily, “humans. And in the Christmas season no less.” She furrowed her brow, thinking intently, before a happy smile came on her face. “Never mind, you will see that I am right. Have a merry Christmas!”

And Ella’s mouth dropped open as the angel disappeared.

~~~

Entering into the hospital room, Ella – who never tripped – had a sudden, humiliating experience. She fell onto the bed that her patient was sitting on. Horrible.

“I am so sorry!” exclaimed Ella quickly, scrambling upward as an awful blush coated her fair cheeks. She stole a glance at the patient, and was reluctant to admit, that at the very least, he was an attractive person.

The man shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

A beam of light shot into the room, causing the two young people to instantly be on alert. But of course, it was only Celeste. The angel had a happy expression on her face as she came closer to the hospital bed.

“I’m so glad you two finally met!”

“Ohhhh dear, you were actually real,” mumbled Ella, eyes widening.

Andy, turned his head towards the physical therapist. “You’ve seen her too?”

“Yeah. Earlier, in the parking lot.”

Celeste grinned. “I am very real Ella, and she already knows, but I haven’t told you, yet, Andy. You two are soulmates!” The angel beamed at them.

With his right hand, he rubbed the back of his neck. “Do you believe her?”

“Of course not! That-that’s completely illogical!”

At that, Andy cracked a small smile. “Well, the fact that I am alive is completely illogical. She,” he pointed at Celeste, “appeared to me as I was dying, and told me I would live. Believe what you want, but as crazy as it sounds, at this point,” he shrugged, “heck. Anything could be true.”

Ella frowned, but could not find it in herself to refute him.

“Oh! Would you look at that? Mistletoe!” exclaimed Celeste innocently.

Great. She’s not going to be satisfied until we kiss. Well. I am absolutely not doing that, but if it will get her to leave…thought Ella, resigning herself to this situation. She leaned over – and what Ella meant to only be a kiss on the cheek – ended up being one on the lips, when Andy unintentionally turned his head.

And though both were too stubborn to admit it, they did not hate it. As for Celeste, she grinned happily as the tiny bell on the magical mistletoe dinged. “Oh! I have done it! It dinged, that means they’re destined for true love!” she clapped her hands together gleefully, “Save me a seat at the wedding…future Mr. and Mrs. Miller.”

Because I am an introvert, socializing is not exactly my strong point. I prefer more intimate settings with deeper conversations; I do not really do well with “small talk.” I would much rather a few close friends, over having several friends that are a more shallow friendship. With that said, I am not gifted with initiating conversations. It is just not a skill I was naturally given. I always dread having to initiate conversations with strangers – it is just awkward!

Something that would probably help make these experiences less difficult, would be practice. As everyone says, practice makes perfect! And the more you do something, usually the easier it gets. It would also be a good idea to have a plan for the conversation – keep a list of potential questions, topics, and other such things in my mind, that way, I’m not just standing there awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

Briar-Rose, or as she was known for short, Briar, huffed a breath and looked back at her twin brother in dismay. “The letter said that we had to go to the train tracks.” She waved the crisp, cream envelope in front of Tremayne’s face.

Must have patience…thought Tremayne, definitely the more cautious of the two. “I know that Briar, and the letter also…oh, I don’t know, popped out of thin air.”

Blowing a dark strand of hair out of her face, Briar’s shoulders dropped. “Don’t you want to find out who we are? Where we come from? I’m tired of going from foster-house to foster-house, only to be slammed back into the system. And always having to worry about whether or not they’ll keep us together.”

“I would never let them take you from me Briar,” stated Tremayne in extreme seriousness, his fists clenched tightly at the thought of someone separating him and his baby sister.

“But what if you couldn’t stop it?”

“I WOULD NOT LET THAT HAPPEN!” shouted Tremayne, gold sparks flying out from his clenched hands.

Briar wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “I know Tre,” she whispered softly, head laid down on his shoulder, “but don’t you want to know? Are you not at least curious why we are like this? Why we have this…this…magic? When no one else does?” She sighed heavily.

“I do want to know Briar. It’s just…” Tremayne let out a breath, dark eyes briefly closing shut, “What if this is a trick? What if someone is trying to-to,” he shook his head, “I don’t want someone to hurt you Briar. You’re all I have. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”

“You always were the positive one,” teased Tremayne in a melancholy way. He ruffled her dark locks, causing Briar to swat his hand away. Suddenly, his expression grew more serious. “Are you sure you want to do this Briar? We can still go back, it’s not too late.”

Briar frowned. “Go back to what Tre? Disorder, chaos, yelling? I don’t want to go back to that. I’m tired of always being tossed around. I want a family.”

“Well, you have me.” He gave her a cheeky grin.

“Smarty-pants,” stated Briar, a loving annoyance to her tone, “and yeah, we do have each other, but don’t you want a whole family? A mother, father? Grandparents?”

Tremayne nodded.

“So, this could be our chance Tremayne,” pleaded Briar, “and really, what do we have to lose? Ms. McLaine with her overly high-pitched voice and hatred for the older kids? Another holiday with no one to celebrate?”

“Alright, alright,” mumbled her twin brother, throwing his hands up in the air, “you’ve made your point little sis – ”

“Hey!”

“If you really want to do this, we’ll go. But,” Tremayne added, seeing her expression light up at his first statement, “the instant we sense or see any danger, we’re leaving. Got it?”

Seeing that this was going to be the only way to get her twin in agreement, Briar-Rose nodded. “Fine Tre, but you have to give this a chance too, ok?”

“I will, I will,” agreed Tremayne, then fixing his sister with a stern expression, “and you, young lady, need to be careful.”

At that, Briar instantly started to protest. “I am careful!”

“So you were careful the time you fell out of a tree and broke your ankle?”

“I was six!”

“And what about recently, when you tried to tame a baby bear?”

“It was cute!”

“And wild.”

Briar pouted. “That baby loved me!”

“Sure, Briar,” stated Tremayne sarcastically, “and if it had not been for me, you would have been having a lovely conversation with that baby bear’s mother. So when I say to be careful, please listen to me.”

That baby bear really did love me! And it was so adorable…thought Briar-Rose with a sigh. She loved animals – especially baby animals.

“Briar…”

“Of course I’m going to be careful, Tre! I’m not stupid!”

“I never said you were stupid, but you do happen to have a very compassionate, giving heart and that can get you into dangerous situations. Just be careful, ok?”

“I will, I will,” repeated Briar-Rose, shaking her head at her brother’s over-protectiveness and worry. They would be fine! He’s worrying for nothing…I just know it. This is our chance to find out about our past, and I am not going to miss that opportunity! thought Briar decidedly. “Let’s go, I don’t want to mess this up!”

And with that exclamation, Briar darted off into the wooded area. Her locks, which had been tossed into a messy bun, were quickly beginning to scatter out – with the entire hairstyle beginning to unravel.

“Briar-Rose Gold!” yelled Tremayne, taking off after his rambunctious sister. Why does she always do this?

He ran after her for a while longer, before he saw her come to a halt. She collapsed onto the railroad train tracks – out of breathe from her excursion.

“Don’t ever do that again Briar!”

Briar-Rose, however, had a perfectly happy expression on her face – the complete opposite of what her brother’s was. Quickly, she yanked out the cream envelope and read through the letter again. “Yes! We’re not late! Just on time!” she exclaimed joyfully, much to her twin’s chagrin.

“Briar. Do you know what could have happened if – ”

But any effort on Tremayne’s part to capture his sister’s attention was a complete failure, for she was completely transfixed on two figures that had suddenly appeared.

One, was an older man – perhaps in his forties. He had hazel eyes and matching brown hair. The second figure, was a woman. She appeared to be younger than the man by several years, and with her flowing golden locks and ocean blue eyes, had a youthful appearance.

The twins were completely still, though Tremayne had come to his sister’s side in a protective stance.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

The woman’s eyes filled with tears, much to the surprise of the teenagers. “I-I’m Wendy,” she managed to say, hand clenching the man’s tightly.

“And I’m Gideon Gold,” answered the man, tone smooth and gentle.

Briar-Rose had stood up to go introduce herself, however, Tremayne was having none of that. He kept a hand on his sister’s arm, shaking his head slightly.

“Why did you call us here?”

The couple exchanged glances, before Wendy decided to speak. “We-we’re your parents.” Her voice was full of emotion and regret, a few tears still trickling down her cheeks.

Seeing the disbelief and doubt on their faces, Gideon added, “We would have come sooner, but there was an extremely dangerous person we had to subdue first. They would have stopped at nothing to take you both from us.”

And somehow, despite how insane and crazy it sounded, the twins believed them.

“You’re-you’re our parents?” whispered Briar-Rose, eyes wide as she looked from Gideon to Wendy and back again.

They nodded, and the twins ran to embrace their parents as a family…a whole, complete family.

Author Note: If you watch Once Upon A Time, you may have caught the reference to Wendy Darling and Gideon Gold 😉 I’m not very happy with the fact that Adam and Eddy had the Black Fairy kidnap Gideon and corrupt him, so I wrote this little thing to satisfy my belief that he will come back as a hero.